Flipbelt Running Belt

The Flipbelt Running Belt
www.theflipbelt.co.uk
rrp £25

I must start by saying that this really is a fantastic product, something that I have been looking for, for a long time.

The main problem I have encountered as a runner is where to store my personal items, such as keys, money, fuels, phone etc. When I first started my phone was stored on my arm in the usual armband, but as phones became larger, these became impractical as it was to large and uncomfortable to be strapped on the arm, The arm bands were also a bit of a pain to access and wear, when using jackets. The next solution was a bumbag, this was worn once really uncomfortable and bounced around too much; too much distraction. So until now my solution has been to use the small zipped pockets that you find on running shorts, and an old small Walkman phone, small pockets =small storage.

For me the Flipbelt solves alot of problems, and it does them with ease. There is a clip sewn into the belt which gives extra security to your keys, to be honest the belt would work without this, but gives extra peace of mind. The belt works by way of being an stretchy tube with access holes placed around. You simply slide the items you want to carry inside the hole, and quite simply as it says flip the belt over, this safely locks the item against your body and does it in a way that it doesn't bounce around. The belt can even stretch to fit a water bottle in but can become uncomfortable, I have a small handheld bottle that fits in quite well.

I came across the belt whilst training for the Great North Run, regularly running 13 mile sessions, needing to take on energy gels and water, and needing to carry music for motivation and money in case of emergency as well as my house/car keys. Now imagine carrying all of those items in a bumbag, not the greatest having that bouncing around. With the Flipbelt everything could be placed around the belt and carried comfortably with minimal distraction, it is very easy to remove the items when needed, such as removing gels when needed to take on fuel. The access holes make it easy to connect you earphones to your phone/mp3 player. Best of all - I can now take my iphone 6/6+ on the runs with me again, unfortunately the belt isnt waterproof so I still need to wrap the phone in ziploc bag to keep it dry.

The belt is very stylish, no-one wants to be wearing bumbags anymore, you can wear the belt as a stylish waistband or even underneath your running top/jacket and keep it very inconspicuous.

The only issues I had with the belt are it not being waterproof (this would probably affect the fit of the belt) and the lack of reflective markings when the belt is flipped, both small issues.

Some people may find the belt a little expensive at £25, but I think it is worth every penny, solves a lot of issues faced by active people daily.

Pros
Can be use anywhere - running, cycling, at the gym or even just when around town shopping
Available in a variety of colours to match your running outfits.
Comfortable to wear - minimal distraction
Easy to use and versatile.
Machine Washable

Cons
Not waterproof
No reflective logo when belt is flipped.

Asics Sweat Seoul Running Top

Asics Sweat Seoul Long Sleeve Running Top.
www.Asics.com
rrp £33

I decided to start looking for something in which to run during the cooler evenings, more specificly where its just too cold for short sleeves and too warm for the jacket. I purchased the Asics Sweat Seoul long sleeve running top and was impressed with the quality.

A company that obviously knows running with its high quality training shoes have produced a great functional top. 

The first thing that hit me was the design of the top. It is quite a slim fit, I am usually medium in running tops, however this top required me to buy a large and it is a perfect fit with what I think is quite an athletic/aggressive look when being worn. A quarter length zip allows for the top to be put on and removed easily. Slimline sleeves also provide a top that reduces distraction flow flappy cuffs and improve streamlining. 

The slim line fit of the tope doesn't allow for a lot of clothing underneath, but did comfortably fit my regular medium t-shirt, and also had no trouble fitting over my long sleeved Skins and Under Armour thermal compression wear. To the rear of the top is the Asics logo in reflective material along with a pattern of stripes to the lower back again in reflective material adding a bit of safety in the darker nights.

For purpose of testing I used Adidas techfit cool top beneath the top, temperature was warm and dry, 18 degrees celsius. I was amazed at how cool I remained throughout the run considering I had a long sleeve top on, the zip collar allowing me to open up and get some fresh air when I did get a bit warmer. A great design on the sleeves was the perforated material of the outer arm, which allowed alot of air in keeping me cool.

VERDICT
A great quality running top, with excellent safety and comfort features, I was really impressed with this top and can highly recommend it. Just remeber it is slim fit so size up on purchase!

IAMRUNBOX

IAMRUNBOX: Garment and Document Carrier
www.iamrunbox.com
twitter @iamrunbox
rrp £25

I received this new product the iamrunbox document carrier, with a view to testing this as a commuter who uses the cycle to get to work.  The concept behind the box is to keep your work documents and work clothes crease free on the daily commute to work. The box does exactly what it says it keeps your items safe.

The water resistant reinforced case has an internal pocket behind which you could store your docs, or valuable items such as ipad or small notebooks and phones etc, it also comes with a folding guide which you use as a tool to correctly fold your clothes to the right size.

Unfortunately the box could do with being slightly larger, for its intended use of work clothes I struggled to get more that a shirt and trousers in, as well as underwear and socks, and there is no room to fit shoes or a jacket in either. It does do its job though and keeps the shirt and trousers neat and crease free.

Before receiving the box, I was expecting an alternative to a backpack, but it is what it says, a box. There are no straps to the box, but it does have a handle so maybe more a sporty carrycase, the box is plaed within a suitably sized backpack. I found myself using the box more as a document carrier than a garment carrier if I am truly honest. I did use the box to carry my shirt and trousers on a trip abroad, and the garments did arrive nice and neat following the air trip.

VERDICT:

I found runbox to be a useful item, however it could be so much more, which I believe is in production.

The box is stylish, and looks modern and sporty, and is very useful maybe more as a document carrier and use as a tech carrier.

 The box could do with being slightly larger, could be made waterproof (rather than resistant) and would benefit from having shoulder straps to be used by itself as a lightweight alternative.

BIBBITS: magnetic race bib holders

 BIBBITS: magnetic race bib holders
www.bibbits.nl
twitter: @BibBits1
rrp. €9.95

As a runner/cyclist, I am always on the look out for quick & easy ways of fastening my race number onto my shirt/vest. The big problem I always faced was the safety pins pulling, and ruining my best/favourite running shirts. 

BibBits work in a similar way to the event clips that I reviewed earlier, Using a front and back piece to easily fasten you bib. The difference here is that BibBits use powerful magnets instead of clips. making them much easier to adjust when in place, making the whole process much easier and 

quicker. especially when using full zip cycling jerseys.

I first used the BibBits during a 10k trail run, conditions on the day were windy, which I really did expect to dislodge the number. On a particularly open stretch with the wind really catching the bib, I was impressed to see that BibBits held true and kept the number firmly in place.

The following week I used them during the Great Manchester Cycle. Fastening this number has always been a problem due to the jersey having a full zip. No problems here, as the magnets were really easy to fasten in place, a big advantage was the fact that I could reposition the number without needing to remove any of the BibBits by sliding the number between them into position (something I could not do with my event clips)

As you can see on the photo above each part of the BibBits has a small round powerful magnet that attaches on either side of your shirt/number. The BibBits are also not on the large side as you can see on the photos below.

BibBits consist of two parts. The front part is rectangle shaped, dimensions are 2x1 cm  and it weighs only 3 grams. The back part is round shaped (for extra comfort), 1,5 cm wide and weighs just 2 grams. A complete set of 4 BibBits weighs around 20 grams. (from BibBits.nl)

The design of the BibBits lead to them being comfortable with no irritation due to rounded back of the holder.

I am really impressed with this item especially due to its lightweight design, and it ease of use, they really are a must have for any run/cycle competitor. The ideal gift idea, as they come in many different designs, and Bibits even of a bespoke option.

5/5 BibBits, well designed product!

Wellograph: WellnessWatch

The Wellness Watch
Wellograph.com
rrp. USD$229

Whilst on the lookout for fitness tech, I stumbled across this watch. Its called the Wellness watch, and to be honest I hadn't really heard of it, and was intrigues to see what this watch could actually do. The website promised a watch, that tracked calories/steps, sleep patterns, heart rate, distance(when exercising), fitness levels and readiness for exercise. Sounds good, but what I really wanted to know - was it acurate?

The watch is available in 3 colours - Silver satin body with brown strap, white pearl body with white strap, and black chrome body with black strap. The default strap as provided is a quality leather strap, although compared to other watches this strap does feel a little flimsy in comparison to the rest of the watch. Replacement straps are available at a price of $49, including whats called a NATO strap, which seems more robust and appropriate for use if your going to exercise in it. The watch has a handy release system for the strap which allows you to interchange straps quickly and easily without the need for tools as can be seen below.

The watch comes with a 1.26" backlit LED screen with super tough sapphire glass making the watch tough enough to cope with the daily demands without fear of scratches. The case is made of stainless steel and aluminium giving the watch a feel of quality. It also doesn't look like your typical fitness tracker, looking smart enough to wear in the evening or at a function. A touch of the button activates the ligght making the screens easy to read as can be seen below.

Battery life is good with the watch lasting 6 days for me, rather than the advertised 7 days, although this could be due to me showing the watch off to every passer by attracted by its look. First question on everyones lips was "is that the iwatch" which surely is a testament to how good the watch looks.

Another positive in favour of the watch, is that it is waterproof, advertised upto 50m, however, I didnt want to test this from fear of ruining my leather strap. And data retention is also good, with the watch holding upto 4 months of data.

As can be seen from the size comparisons above in relation to my mid size G-Shock, the watch is not overly large weighing in at just 3.5oz, and sits nicely on the wrist due to the concave back on the watch, this is designed to aid the heart rate monitoring. For me the pulse monitoring was the big success story for the watch, giving accurate readings when used in conjuction with the mio link. Instant readings are available at the touch of a button. In my version of the watch, the pulse meter was accurate, however, I was too keen on how loose the strap was due to the limited holes, maybe a velcro adjustable exercise strap may be more appropriate or and adjustable link band to keep the watch closer to the wrist.

The watch monitors the pulse using a TRI-LED sensor on the rear of the watch as can be seen below and offers highly responsive readings.

Activity tracking is performed using a 9-axis accelerometer, the sensitivity of this can be adjusted to high and low. Both of which differed considerably to the step function on the iphone 6s, with low sensitivity reading on average 500-700 steps per day lower, and hogh setting reading upto 2000 steps more. Bearing in mind I am on my feet and active all day as Physical Education teacher, this can represent quite a lot of distance/steps. The watch also identified the number of cardio step in relation to general steps which was an interesting feature.

As the screens above show, the watch used a combination of heart rate/step tracking to calculate my activity and calorie use during the day, which could also be seen as a weekly graph showing how active I was on each day. The continuous tracking of the bpm gave a typical resting and max heart rate reading and with use a fitness level, this I found slightly confusing telling me I was in the 85 percentile for 47 year old, when in fact I would rather see how fit I was for my actual age of 40!

One function that really peaked my interest watch the sleep tracking. The first thing I did when I woke up in the morning was check the sleep log. With the watch giving a graph showing the percentage quality of sleep for the night as well as where dreaming/light sleep/deep sleep were taking place. I was impressed with the accuracy of this function as I did snooze one evening between 7 and 8 pm, the watch recognised that I was actually asleep, this amazed me! Well done on this feature Wellograph.

Now the final comparison test was to test the stopwatch/distance run feature on the watch, I compared this with my Garmin forerunner 220 (in conjuction with the mio link HRM). The 2 watches were taken on a 5km run (tried/tested/measured route). The stopwatch/timing function worked perfectly well with no problems in actually timing the run. Now the Wellness watch does not come with integrated GPS tracking, therefore, used the 9axis sensor to track movement, without a calibration function, my fears were realised with this being the most innacurate tracking function on the watch. The Garmin reading 5.02 km, whereas the Wellness watch reading 4.47km. In fairness the watch isnt advertised as a run tracker, its a Wellness watch. Out on the run the pulse monitoring really impressed with both watches reading with 5bpm of each other.

A simple procedure of reading my heart rate, also gave a readiness for exercise scale. Although to be honest I never received a reading of needing to rest, despite an active week.

Charging takes place via a magnetic cradle which uses usb cable to charge. Charging is a quick proces and I found a 2hr charge would see the watch fully charged and ready to go. As a useful feature the watch displays the time landscape when charging.

Information is shared with the Wellograph app, which is available on all platforms. For testing I used the IOS app. Registering the watch was easy to do and a simple hold of one of the buttons on the watch, turned on the bluetooth function and connected the watch to my phone, I found this one button touch functionreally handy as it saved time in going to settings to turn bluetooth on and off, a great battery saving function.

The information in the app is really well presented and easy to read/use. Well done Wellograph a well designed app

Summary.
This is a wellness tracking watch not a smartwatch. It does as it says and gives you a reading of how active you are, how many calories you are using and how well you are sleeping. A useful fitness tracking idea, if a little on the pricey side - especially in the apple watch battle! When I first put on the watch I will admit I was a little disapointed, however, it really did win me over in the end. I see this as  a watch for the general user interested in simple lifestyle tracking, not really for the person looking for a fully blown gps/run tracking watch.

Pros.

Good looking watch

Accurate pulse monitoring

Scratch resistant screen

Interchangable straps

Easy to use (2button system)

Large digit screens

Low power backlight

Low power bluetooth function

Responsive sleep tracking function

Easy to use well designed app 

Long battery life, quick charging

Cons

No GPS tracking feature.

Variable accuracy on step tracking

Straps have limited sizing holes

Poor distance measurement when out running

Aftershokz Bluez2 headphones

Afteshoks Bluez2 Bone conduction Headphones
www.aftershokz.com
www.aftershokz.co,uk
RRP.£74.95/$99.95

Listening to music on my runs! The one thing that I really need to keep me motivated, and the one thing that has caused me the most fuss over the years, with buds that just would not stay in my ears, wires that always get in the way, and death to headphones through sweat and rain.
One of my running colleagues received a pair of Aftershoks for Christmas and was delighted to receive the bluetooth version, intrigued I had a very quick go and was impressed at the sound quality after being dubious about how they would sound.
So decision made, give these a try and get a pair.

From the minute they drop through the door and you open the box, these just scream quality. a great high quality box just says "this is a quality item" and you cant wait to get them out and try them on.

so what do you get in the box!

A pair of reflective stickers for the back of you headset

USB charger cable

Size adjustment band

A nifty waterproof carry bag

So the reflective stickers, just add to the safety of these earphones, allowing the wearer to be seen at night. The USB cable feels like a quality cable, no risk of breakage there. I havent had cause to use the adjustment fit strap, as I find the headphones to be of quite a snug fit, and would only expect people with small head sizes to require the strap, ( I dont consider myself to have a physically big head). The carry bag is a nice touch for looking after your investment.

On a full charge the headphones last for up to 6 hours continuous play,  with up to 10 days charge in standby. and full charge takes approximately 2 hours. So perfect for the average marathon/half marathon/10k runner or cyclist. 

Now, Aftershokz claim these headphones to be sweat and water resistant, but they dont claim them to be waterproof! I must admit that I did actually manage to kill off my first pair of these in a particularly strenuous and very sweaty cycle turbo training session, I contacted Aftershokz and a new pair was in my hand 3 days later, great service Aftershokz! And as of yet months later and lots of sweaty sessions later there is no sign of these headphones failing. I have even had them out in heavy rain and they have worked fine for me.

So how do they work? The headphones use amazing technology, that guides mini vibrations though the cheek bones and conducts them directly to the inner. I was dubious about the quality of this before I tried them, but they really are clear and give a good sound. Ok so you dont get mega bass conduction but the sound quality is very clear and does have a great tone. The fact that these leave your ears open is a great feature, particularly for the cyclist or runner, as you really are aware of your surroundings, meaning you can hear traffic, or marshals in events. Surprisingly the vibrations are barely noticable and you do forget you have them on, however, heavy bass/loud volume can cause big vibrations which can be uncomfortable. There are built in equaliser options but I am barely  able to notice any difference between them.

The headphones have what they call Leak Slayer technology, that I assume is intended to reduce the sound that you lose to the environment, Not a great success, it does reduce sound output to the environment to an extent,it is detectable by someone next to you, but at least you dont give off the recognisable loud tinny sound you hear from children on the bus!

The headphones are really easy to set up, with all the controls placed neatly behind the ear, being bluetooth also means you dont have any fiddly wires to get in your way. I have paired the headphones, with iphone6, ipad, and older phone sony w995, no problems conecting to each and totally switchable between them all. The silver button on the photo above, is the button used to pause and play music, as well as using a double press to advance to the next track. The button is also used to accept and end phone calls, sound quality in calls is good, and reception at the other end is clear I am told. Unfortunately the button only allows skipping forward of songs, there is no backwards and also there is no fast forward/rewind function, but this doesnt detract from their appeal, after all you cant do this with a normal set of headphones can you!

I have predominantly used these headphones whilst out on training runs, or cycling with friends, and found these great for that purpose, I can listen to my music whilst holding a conversation with my running buddies. The fact that these are open ear means I am aware at all times of my surroundings, particularly when out on the road. The headphones even sit nicely under my cycle helmet.

Today I took the headphones to their first 10k event, the Great Manchester Run. To be honest the volume out in the big event wasnt great, Yes I could hear my music, but the sound from supporters, and band/radio DJs surrounding the route sometimes made it difficult to hear my music, effectively making mine just a background noise. If you like your music blasting to your ears in a big event like this, you may struggle here.

Would definitely recommend these headphones, they are the first headphones I have come across that dont require constant adjustment, they are comfortable and quite simply they do their job well, leaving you to concentrate on your activity whilst remaining safe.

Pros

sweat resistant

safety - surroundings awareness and reflective stickers

comfortable to wear

bluetooth- no wires

long lasting charge

easy setup and use

Cons

can be a little quiet in loud surroundings

not totally waterproof

can produce large vibration which can be uncomfortable

Brooks Glycerin 11

Brooks Glycerin 11 Running Shoe (RRP£120) currently available from £60

 The 11th version builds on the comfort from the Glycerin 9 and 10 and boasts  a seamless fit. I did actually consider a move away back to Asics, however, once tried on in the store there was no question that these were the most comfortable in the store, yes I had to pay a little more for these over the Asics, but it was a no brainer, and since then I have even returned and bought another pair!

The shoes have a thick durable sole with what Brooks call omni groove style grip.
The shoe provide fantastic cushioning and comfort for your run and support through its moulded heel. As you can see on the photo below the blue version also comes with reflective detailing, a great safety feature and sadly lacking from the yellow.

 One of the main problems I encountered with the 9 and 10 versions of the Glycerin was the durability of the uppers particularly within the toe box, with the shoes lasting approx 200 miles before my toe wore through the upper, leaving an unsightly hole. This area seems to have been fully addressed by Brooks and the shoes now show a more robust material, which is less "mesh-like" than the previous versions and as a result much more hard wearing, as can be seen on the photos below. These are shoes that covered 250miles(yellow) and 350miles(blue)

I really cannot fault these running shoes, they just seem to keep on going and going and for the average runner like myself, (I'm never going to win any races!!) weight is not an issue, and with use of Brooks 3d fit print overlays weight is reduced from 12.03oz on the Glycerin 10 to 11.08oz in the 11. The sole also proves to be extremely durable as can bee seen on the pics below, with only minimum wear, more noticeably on the outer heels due to my running style, but remember these shoes have covered 350 miles.

Overall I am really impressed with this version of the glycerin and comes in a different colourways, blue/white, yellow/grey, green/grey. Really comfortable, really hard wearing and durable, could be too heavy for the serious speed runners amongst us but well worth the money being asked for them. When it comes to running shoes, you really cant take short cuts on price, and Brooks have proven with these that you get what you pay for - quality. Cant wait to try the Glycerin 12 if Brooks have made the same advances with the 12 they will be a must buy! 
Looks 10/10
Comfort 10/10
Lifespan 10/10
Overall 10/10 WELL DONE BROOKS!

Some specs from Brooks you may be interested in

Weight: 11.8 oz.

Profile (Heel): 34.5 mm

Profile (Forefoot): 24.6 mm

Drop from heel to forefoot: 9.9 mm

 
Features:

• BioMoGo long-lasting and environmentally friendly cushioning
• Full length Brooks DNA for personalised cushioning
• DRB Accel enhances midfoot support
• Rear and forefoot HydroFlow for superb cushioning
• S-257 Cushsole allows for maximum flexibility and cushioning
• Omega flex grooves for enhanced flexibility
• HPR green technology rubber for a durable outsole
• Moisture-managing